Krop of Cheaters
Top-notch: The article about how Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High violated state recruiting rules is why I read Miami New Times ("Shakey Situation," Gus Garcia-Roberts, February 17). It's a great story that reveals the ugly criminal underbelly of some in the local high school sports scene. Hopefully, after Krop Senior High pays those heavy fines, other schools will do a better job of filing paperwork and playing by the rules. Outstanding journalism by Mr. Garcia-Roberts. I hope an award is in his near future! Please, please keep up the great journalism!
Tom Stedham
Fair play: What Krop Senior High is doing is not only against the rules, it's unfair to other schools in the area. How would you like to be a player on a team at another school while Krop is winning titles by recruiting kids and using fake addresses to pretend they live in its district? Krop is cheating, period.
JCB
Uh-duh: This is information people in the Miami-Dade County school system have known for years. It is just that now someone has had the guts to put it on paper.
Anonymous
Too easy: If all it takes to produce award-winning, outstanding journalism these days is to have a source hold your hand, directing you on where to go and what to say, I must be in the wrong line of work. It seems the author's only real efforts were "checking out" addresses, knocking on doors, friend-requesting some kids on Facebook, and "reporting" whatever made a good story. Suddenly the Disney movie, heartstring-tugging story turned into an Enron-esque, ponzi-scheming cover-up. Genius.
Kenn Doe
Hurt kids: It is quite apparent that some people have nothing better to do than ruin the lives of young kids. Or could it be that some people on another high school basketball team have an ulterior motive? Either way, this has gotten out of control. Adults should be sitting on the sidelines, cheering students on, not squashing their hopes and dreams. As a side note: Any newspaper for the general public that prints vulgar language, whether in a direct quote or not, should be fined.
Anonymous
Honor and shame: I am the parent of a high school basketball player. Members of our team played hard this season — they lost in the semifinals — but they played by the rules, all of them. It is wonderful to win a championship and witness years of training pay off, but it means nothing without honor. These young men were used by unscrupulous "adults" who probably never played an honest game themselves. I applaud those who came forward, and set an example. And for those of you who looked the other way, shame on you.
Ileana
Cheap thrills: I really hope you enjoy ruining people's lives and careers. Is that what your journalism is about? Do you get satisfaction and pleasure from stalking teenagers and slandering peoples' names?
Anonymous
Excuses, excuses: Many times we don't know right from wrong, but lots of times we do, and this is one of those times. Krop Senior High might not have had a sinister intent at the outset, but there were plenty of opportunities for those involved to make it right and no one did. No one takes responsibility for anything anymore. They obscure, they obfuscate, and they rationalize. "Everybody does it," they say. They come to occupy a moral safe house where everyone's to blame and no one is guilty.
JB
They all do it: Basketball recruiting has been going on since I was in high school in the '90s. I stopped coaching because of all the cheating that was going on. The majority of schools do it because the coaches and booster clubs want recognition.
Anonymous
Return to sender: As a parent of a minor child in the Miami-Dade school district, I am shocked and terrified that my child's address can be disclosed so easily and then shared so publicly by a media outlet. If that's the case, I'm giving a fake address, too, now that I know it can send anyone searching for my doorstep.
SR
Bad Moon Rising
Hush up: The organizers of the Miami Beach full moon drum circle can begin weeding out the bad seeds when they stop blasting notifications to every follower on Facebook ("Over the Moon," Tim Elfrink, February 17). Those that know about it and are part of the culture already know when to go. Everyone else is jumping on the bandwagon and sees the event as a chance to "wild out." Some people have no clue how to act and shouldn't be encouraged to attend. Keep it exclusive, people!
Anonymous
